Google announced that Preeti Lobana has been named as its new Vice President and Country Manager for India.

According to the firm, Lobana, a seasoned Google employee with eight years of experience as Vice President of customer-centric solutions, will now lead Google India's operations and sales, advancing the company's dedication to India's developing digital economy.

According to Google, she will be crucial in determining the company's approach to enabling all users to benefit from AI's revolutionary potential and encouraging creativity nationwide.

Sanjay Gupta, who was recently promoted to a more senior position as President of the Asia Pacific area, is replaced by Lobana.

“With AI poised to redefine the boundaries of what’s possible, I am incredibly excited to welcome my colleague, Preeti, as our new Country Manager. Her leadership and passion for customer-centricity has fueled impactful solutions for businesses across industries empowering millions of businesses to thrive in the digital age,” Gupta said.

Lobana has worked in senior leadership positions in the finance and technology sectors for more than 30 years. She most recently led a worldwide team and oversaw the development of creative ad solutions and support for Google's partners and customers as Vice President, gTech-Process, Partner, Publisher Operations, Ads Content & Quality Operations.

“Preeti’s leadership will be instrumental as we deepen our engagement with India’s unique ecosystem, leveraging AI advancements like Gemini 2.0 to accelerate digital inclusion and unlock unprecedented economic opportunities for every Indian. I am confident that her deep market expertise will guide us in shaping a future where technology truly benefits all,” Gupta said.

Roma Datta Chobey, who served as the temporary Country Manager and will continue to lead as Managing Director for Google India's Digital Native Industries, will be her close partner in her new position, Gupta said.

Given that India is one of Google's most significant international markets and that the company has spent billions of dollars digitizing the country and its local companies, Lobana's hiring comes at a critical moment. The US IT giant is allegedly abusing its power in the digital environment, though, and is currently embroiled in a number of important antitrust proceedings in India. Among these is the Android Ecosystem Case, in which Google was fined by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for requiring the pre-installation of its proprietary programs (such as YouTube, Chrome, and Google Search) on Android devices in accordance with contracts like the Mobile Application Distribution Agreement (MADA).